Mounting

ABSTRACT

A mount holding a vertical rod with a ball at its top positioned in a ball joint opening of a housing having an umbrella holder within a bore extending from the ball joint opening at the top of the housing. When the umbrella holder is slightly raised so that the ball is no longer being forced against the ball joint opening, the housing may be pivoted about the ball. A nut on the vertical rod supports the housing which has a conical bottom extending below the ball so that the housing is tilted by adjusting the height of the nut. In another embodiment a slot at the housing bottom allows the housing to be tilted past the vertical rod to a horizontal position. In another embodiment the ball is locked into position by means of a cam and plunger.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Arthur A. Koskinen 4458 Soquel Drive,Soquel, Calif. 95073 [21] Appl. No. 857,157 [22] Filed Sept. 11, 1969[45] Patented Mar. 9, 1971 [54] MOUNTING 8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs. [52]U.S. Cl 248/42, 287/12, 287/21 [51] Int. Cl. A451) 25/00 [50] Field 01'Search 248/38- [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,167,5991/1916 Sanford 287/l2x 2,694,538 11/1954 Consolo et a]. 248/42 3,145,0058/1964 Wester 248/40 3,204,898 9/1965 Manning Primary Examiner-Edward C.Allen Assistant Examiner-William H. Schultz Att0rney-Alexander B. BlairABSTRACT: A mount holding a vertical rod with a ball at its toppositioned in a ball joint opening of a housing having an umbrellaholder within a bore extending from the ball joint opening at the top ofthe housing. When the umbrella holder is slightly raised so that theball is no longer being forced against the ball joint opening, thehousing may be pivoted about the ball. A nut on the vertical rodsupports the housing which has a conical bottom extending below the ballso that the housing is tilted by adjusting the height of the nut. Inanother embodiment a slot at the housing bottom allows the housing to betilted past the vertical rod to a horizontal position. In anotherembodiment the ball is locked into position by means of a cam andplunger.

MOUNTING This invention relates to devices for mounting and adjusting bymeans 'of tilting and pivotal movements the angular posi tions ofumbrellas, flag poles, fishing poles, antennas, and the like. I

The primary object of this invention is tojprovide facilitation of thedesired positioning of a pole by means of an ad justable ball jointmounting for tilting and pivotal movements with a minimum number ofmoving parts and manual adjust ments.

The above and other objects of the invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after. acorisideration of thefollowing'detaileddescription of the preferred embodiments of thisinvention taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a side view of an umbrella attached to the adjustable ballhousing and mounting plate; I

FIG. 2'is a sectional view taken on line .2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a stationary mounting plate taken online3-3of FIG.- 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cam locking device;

FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of a center postmounting sleeve; FIG. 6 is aside view ofa boat seat clamp mount;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is across-sectional side view of theadjustable balljointconnection and; housing tilted 90.for 360 pivoting ina horizontalplane; and

FIG. 9 is a'sectional'view taken on line 9-9of FIG. 8.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in FIGS; land 2 an umbrella postrests within a lockingsleeve 22iwhich at its lower end is threadedlyengagedwithin a ballhousing'sleeve 24. A ball joint 26-is positioned atthe'lower end of housing sleeve 24 which increases diameter at itsbottom forming a' conical extension 28. A ball 30, which is positionedwithinfball joint 26,.is secured to the top of a threaded'rod 32 whichisthreadedlytengaged at its lower end within stationary mount ing plate34securely mounted to ahorizontal surface 36 by 'means of bolts 38within apertures 40, as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1-3. Threaded upon rod32 is an angleadjusting nut 42, which serves as a platform for theoutermost perimeter of conical extension 28 at the point where it restson nut 42, and lock nut 44.

Umbrella post 20, which is in a vertical position whenthe outermostperimeter of conical extension 28 rests flat upon. angle adjusting nut42, maybe set at a d'esiredangle-by raising locking sleeve 22 so thatitno longer forces ball against ball joint 26 thereby preventihgmovement'and by lowering nut 42 so thatumbrella post20 and. ball housing sleeve24 tilt atan angle'as point 28a, along the outermost perimeter ofconical extension 28, rests upon nut 42, while point 28b 180 away frompoint 28a is raisedinthe air. Umbrella post 20 maybe tilted until point28c along the innermost perimeter of the inner surface ofconicalextension 28 makesphysical contact with rod 32 which preventsfurther tilting. Umbrella post. 20 and ball housing sleeve 24whiletilted may be pivoted 360 merely. by rotating them about ball 30*and anaxis running through the center of rod32, the outermost perimeter of comcal extension 28 forming a circular path along angle adjusting nut 42during rotation. After umbrella post'20 hasbeentilted and pivoted tothedesired angle, it may be locked into posi tion merely by loweringlocking sleeve 22 forcing ball 30 against ball joint 26'; I

FIGS. 8 and 9 show another embodimentof thisinvention whereby umbrellapost 20 may be tilted- 90 to a horizontal of the conical section removedby slot 50 at point 280 which when notremoved moves against rod32.preventing further tilting-as shown in FIG. 2.

Another embodiment of this invention isshown in FIG. 4

disclbsing a cam locking device. An umbrella post 22. is secured withinan unthreaded ball housing sleeve 24' by 30 against the bottom of ballhousing sleeve 24' thereby preventing'further movementof ball 30.Because of the pressure fit, cam33will notloosen or rotate out of thelocking position duertovibration orthe weight of handle 37. Also,handle.37 cannot be accidentally pushed loose because itcan only bepulled from its locking position.

Another embodimentof this invention is shown in FIG. 5 disclosing acenter post mount which can be used on earth moving equipment and thelike. Rod 32is threadedly engaged with a mounting sleeve 50. and locknut 44. Sleeve 60 is.

secured to a centerpost62 meansof rivet 64.

Another embodiment of-this invention is shown in FIGS. 6': and 7disclosing a boat seat mounting clamp for small pleasure and fishingboats for allowing the umbrella to be quicklypivoted out of the way whenplaying and landing a fish. Rod 32 is threadedly engaged with lock nutand. a clamp 70 which is secured. to a horizontal surface, such. as boatseat 72 by. means of clamp screws 74.

While the preferred embodiments of this invention have been illustratedand described, itwill be understood by those skilled in the art thatmodifications and changes may be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

lclairn:

1. An adjustable ball joint pole mounting, comprising:

a first sleevehaving a bore in the upper end thereof for holding a poleandthreaded at the lower end thereof; a housing having a threaded sleeveat the upper endthereof for threadedly engaging the lower end of saidfirstsleeve, a ball joint opening extendingfrom the threaded sleeve atthe lower end of 'saidhousing, and aconical shaped bottom;

a ball positioned withinthe ball joint opening of said housing forpivoting and tilting said housing, said housing becoming locked at thedesired angle when the lower end of saidfirst sleeve isscrewed intosaid'ball jointopening for preventingmovement between said'housingpandsaid ball;

a threaded rod having said ball secured to the top thereof;

a mount having a vertical threaded bore for holding said threaded rod ina vertical position; and

a nut on said threaded rod'supporting the conical shaped."

bottom of said housing, the conicalshapedbottom of said housingextending below said ball for tilting said. housing at a-desired angleby adjusting the height of said nut;

2. An adjustable ball joint pole mountingas recitedin claim 8, wherein:i i

said mount includes a stationary plate including a raise cylindricalportionin the center thereof containing said. vertical threadedbore anda flat base for securing said mount to a horizontal'surface.

3. An adjustable ball'jointpole mounting as recited in claim 8, wherein:i

said mount includes a sleeve fitted over and secured toavertical post;saidsleeve having a top horizontal surface: containing said'verticalthreaded bore.

4. An adjustable ball joint pole mounting as recited inclaim 8,.wherein:

said mount includes a U-shaped clamp comprising-alowers horizontal leg'threadedly holding a clamp screw for: manual adjustment, clamping andsecuring said mount to a horizontal surface, and an upper horizontal legcontain; ing said vertical threaded bore.

5'. An adjustable ball joint pole mounting as recited'incl'aim 8,whereim said housing has a slot extending upwards from the conicalshaped bottom and terminating above the lower end of the ball jointopening, the width of the slot being greater than that of said threadedrod for tilting said housing past said threaded rod to a horizontalposition.

6. An adjustable ball joint pole mounting, comprising:

a housing having a sleeve at the upper end thereof for holding a pole, aball joint opening at the lower end of said housing, and aconical-shaped shaped bottom;

a ball positioned within the ball joint opening of said housing forpivoting and tilting said housing;

locking means within said housing;

a threaded rod having said ball secured to the top thereof;

a mount having a vertical threaded bore for holding said threaded rod ina vertical position; and

a nut on said threaded rod supporting the conical shaped bottom of saidhousing, the conical shaped bottom of said housing extending below saidball for tilting said housing at a desired angle by adjusting the heightof said nut.

7. The adjustable ball joint pole mounting of claim 6,

wherein said locking means includes a first sleeve having a bore in theupper end thereof for holding a pole and threaded at the lower endthereof for threaded engagement with said housing sleeve, said housingbecoming locked at the desired angle when the lower end of said firstsleeve is screwed into said ball joint opening for preventing movementbetween said housing and said ball. 7

8. The adjustable ball joint pole mounting of claim 6, wherein saidlocking means includes:

a plunger within the sleeve of said housing resting on the top surfaceof said ball; a cam positioned within the sleeve of said housing abovesaid plunger; and a handle pivotally mounted in the sleeve of saidhousing and secured to said cam for rotation of said cam which pressesdown said plunger on the top surface of said ball forcing said ballagainst the side of the ball joint opening of said housing forpreventing movement between said housing and said ball.

1. An adjustable ball joint pole mounting, comprising: a first sleevehaving a bore in the upper end thereof for holding a pole and threadedat the lower end thereof; a housing having a threaded sleeve at theupper end thereof for threadedly engaging the lower end of said firstsleeve, a ball joint opening extending from the threaded sleeve at thelower end of said housing, and a conical shaped bottom; a ballpositioned within the ball joint opening of said housing for pivotingand tilting said housing, said housing becoming locked at the desiredangle when the lower end of said first sleeve is screwed into said balljoint opening for preventing movement between said housing and saidball; a threaded rod havIng said ball secured to the top thereof; amount having a vertical threaded bore for holding said threaded rod in avertical position; and a nut on said threaded rod supporting the conicalshaped bottom of said housing, the conical shaped bottom of said housingextending below said ball for tilting said housing at a desired angle byadjusting the height of said nut.
 2. An adjustable ball joint polemounting as recited in claim 8, wherein: said mount includes astationary plate including a raised cylindrical portion in the centerthereof containing said vertical threaded bore and a flat base forsecuring said mount to a horizontal surface.
 3. An adjustable ball jointpole mounting as recited in claim 8, wherein: said mount includes asleeve fitted over and secured to a vertical post, said sleeve having atop horizontal surface containing said vertical threaded bore.
 4. Anadjustable ball joint pole mounting as recited in claim 8, wherein: saidmount includes a U-shaped clamp comprising a lower horizontal legthreadedly holding a clamp screw for manual adjustment, clamping andsecuring said mount to a horizontal surface, and an upper horizontal legcontaining said vertical threaded bore.
 5. An adjustable ball joint polemounting as recited in claim 8, wherein: said housing has a slotextending upwards from the conical shaped bottom and terminating abovethe lower end of the ball joint opening, the width of the slot beinggreater than that of said threaded rod for tilting said housing pastsaid threaded rod to a horizontal position.
 6. An adjustable ball jointpole mounting, comprising: a housing having a sleeve at the upper endthereof for holding a pole, a ball joint opening at the lower end ofsaid housing, and a conical-shaped shaped bottom; a ball positionedwithin the ball joint opening of said housing for pivoting and tiltingsaid housing; locking means within said housing; a threaded rod havingsaid ball secured to the top thereof; a mount having a vertical threadedbore for holding said threaded rod in a vertical position; and a nut onsaid threaded rod supporting the conical shaped bottom of said housing,the conical shaped bottom of said housing extending below said ball fortilting said housing at a desired angle by adjusting the height of saidnut.
 7. The adjustable ball joint pole mounting of claim 6, wherein saidlocking means includes a first sleeve having a bore in the upper endthereof for holding a pole and threaded at the lower end thereof forthreaded engagement with said housing sleeve, said housing becominglocked at the desired angle when the lower end of said first sleeve isscrewed into said ball joint opening for preventing movement betweensaid housing and said ball.
 8. The adjustable ball joint pole mountingof claim 6, wherein said locking means includes: a plunger within thesleeve of said housing resting on the top surface of said ball; a campositioned within the sleeve of said housing above said plunger; and ahandle pivotally mounted in the sleeve of said housing and secured tosaid cam for rotation of said cam which presses down said plunger on thetop surface of said ball forcing said ball against the side of the balljoint opening of said housing for preventing movement between saidhousing and said ball.